1872 FA Cup Final | Football Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 1872 FA Cup Final 1 0 1873 → The 1872 FA Cup Final was a football match between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on 16 March 1872 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the final of the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era as the FA Cup ), which became the primary cup competition in English football and the oldest football competition in the world. Fifteen teams entered the competition in its first season and, due to the rules in place at the time, Wanderers reached the final having won only one match in the four preceding rounds. In the semi-finals, they drew with the Scottish club Queen's Park , but reached the final when the Scots withdrew from the competition as they could not afford to return to London for a replay. The final was decided by a single goal, scored after fifteen minutes by Morton Betts of Wanderers, who was playing under the pseudonym "A.H. Chequer".

The Engineers were praised for their innovative use of passing, then referred to as the "Combination Game", at a time when most teams relied almost solely on dribbling tactics. Despite this they could not manage to score a goal. The winning Wanderers team did not receive the trophy until the following month, when it was presented to them at a special reception at the Pall Mall Restaurant. Contents Main article: 1871–72 FA Cup Wanderers and Royal Engineers were among fifteen teams who entered the inaugural FA Cup competition, and both were allocated home matches in the first round. Wanderers were paired with Harrow Chequers, a team consisting of former pupils of Harrow School, and the Engineers were set to face Reigate Priory. Neither match actually took place, however, as in both cases the away team withdrew from the competition, sending the home team through to the next round on a walkover. In the second round, both teams played away matches and emerged victorious. Wanderers defeated Clapham Rovers 3–1 in December and the Engineers beat Hitchin 5–0 the following month.

At the quarter-final stage, Wanderers drew 0–0 with Crystal Palace (a different club to the modern club of the same name ). Rather than be made to replay the match, however, both teams were permitted to go through to the semi-finals under one of the competition's original rules, which stated that in the event of a drawn match the teams would either be made to play again or both progress to the next round, at the organising committee's discretion. The Engineers beat Hampstead Heathens 2–0. In the semi-finals Wanderers took on the leading Scottish club Queen's Park who, due to a combination of walkovers and byes, had reached this stage of the competition without actually playing a match. The rules of the competition stated that all matches from the semi-final stage onwards would take place at Kennington Oval in London and, after being held to a 0–0 draw, the Scottish club could not afford to make the lengthy trip from Glasgow a second time for a replay and withdrew from the competition, sending Wanderers into the final. The Engineers also drew their semi-final at the Oval 0–0, and beat Crystal Palace 3–0 in the replay.

Match Summary As was common at the time, both teams focused mainly on attack rather than defence, the Engineers lining up with seven forwards and Wanderers with eight. Wanderers forward Morton Betts played under the pseudonym "A. H. Chequer", derived from his membership of the Harrow Chequers club. Some sources state that he played under an assumed name to disguise the fact that he was cup-tied , having been a registered player of the Chequers club at the start of the competition and therefore ineligible to play for another club in that season's cup. This, however, is unlikely to be true, as in the early amateur era of football players were not required to be formally registered with clubs. Wanderers captain C. W. Alcock won the coin toss and chose to defend the Harleyford Road end of the ground, meaning that the Engineers, who were considered the favourites at the start of play, initially had the sun and wind in their faces. Early in the game, Edmund Creswell of the Royal Engineers suffered a broken collar bone in a melee. He refused to leave the pitch but due to his injury was forced to spend the remainder of the match as a "passenger" on the wing .

Wanderers' tactics centred on the dribbling skills of individual players, while the Engineers favoured passing the ball, a style then known as the "Combination Game" and considered innovative, of which they were leading exponents. Wanderers took the lead fifteen minutes into the game when Betts opened the scoring from an acute angle after Robert Vidal 's long dribble. Under the rules in use at the time, the teams changed ends after each goal, but the Engineers were unable to take advantage of the fact that the sun and wind were now behind them, and the Wanderers players remained dominant. After twenty minutes Alcock put the ball past the Engineers' goalkeeper, William Merriman , but the goal was disallowed because Charles Wollaston had handled the ball. Wanderers continued to exert further pressure on the Engineers' goal and only Merriman's skill was able to prevent them from increasing their lead. One newspaper later described his performance as "perfect". Despite a late rally from the Engineers, Wanderers were able to hold on to their lead and the game ended in a 1–0 victory.

Newspaper The Field called the final "the fastest and hardest match that has ever been seen at The Oval" and said that the Wanderers displayed "some of the best play, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game". Details 30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion. Replay if scores still level. No substitutes. Post-match The Cup was presented by the President of the Football Association , Mr E. C. Morley , at the annual dinner of the Wanderers at the Pall Mall Restaurant, Charing Cross , on 11 April. The Football Association also gave each player in the winning team a silk badge commemorating the victory and the Wanderers' committee presented each player with an inscribed gold medal. As cup-holders, Wanderers received a bye straight to the final of the following year's FA Cup, in keeping with the original concept of the competition being a "challenge cup". This was the only time this rule was used. In 1938, The Times published an obituary for Thomas Hooman and stated that he had scored the winning goal in the 1872 cup final, citing an interview the player gave shortly before his death.

This claim is not backed up by contemporary newspaper reports, all of which list Betts as the goalscorer, and, as other quoted aspects of Hooman's reminiscences about the match were incorrect, it seems that in his old age he was confusing the 1872 final with another match in which he played. In 2010, the only known surviving medal from the final was offered for sale at an auction in London. It had been purchased by a jeweller as part of a house clearance in the 1950s and was expected to sell for up to £50,000, but was ultimately purchased by the Professional Footballers' Association for £70,500. On 7 November 2012, the match was replayed by the reformed Wanderers side and the Royal Engineers team at the original venue, The Oval . The result went in a completely opposite direction to the actual final, as the Royal Engineers won 7–1.

The FA Cup Finalists 1872-1879 - Historical Football Kits English League Teams > FA Cup Finals English FA Cup Finalists 1872 - 1879 The English FA Challenge Cup is world's second oldest competition in association football. (The Youdon Cup played between Sheffield teams preceded it by five years but was played just once.). The tournament was proposed by CW Alcock, the influential Secretary of the Football Association who captained The Wanderers (photo left) to victory in the first ever final. At the time there were 30 clubs in membership of the FA, half of whom entered the competition. The decade was dominated by the former public school teams based in and around London at a time when association football was considered a recreation for gentlemen rather than a national sport. 1871 - 1872 Wanderers 1 Royal Engineers 0 venue Kennington Oval date 16 March 1872 Fifteen teams entered the inaugural FA Cup including Queen's Park of Glasgow, the only entrant from outside the Greater London area.

In view of the cost of travel, they were given a bye until the semi-final with a promise that if they won, the final would be played the following day. In the event their game with Wanderers finished scoreless and Queen's Park withdrew. Wanderers, a club that drew its players from former public school teams, started the final as underdogs against the Royal Engineers from Chatham. After Lt Creswell broke his collarbone with ten minutes played, the army team had to continue with ten men. A single goal by MP Betts gave Wanderers the trophy in a final watched by 2,000 spectators who each paid 1/- (5p). Wanderers 2 Oxford University 0 venue Lillie Bridge date 29 March 1873 As Cup holders, Wanderers were exempt until the final, a rule that was dropped the following season. The Oxford team were drawn to play Queen's Park in the semi-final but the Glasgow side once again withdrew, unable to travel to London for the game. The University team could call upon some of the best ex-public school players in the country but were below strength for the final.

After Wanderers took the lead, they even played without a goalkeeper, Kirke-Smith moving up field in search of an equaliser. Arthur Fitzgerald (later Lord) Kinnaird, in the first of nine final appearances dribbled through the entire Oxford team to score Wanderers' second goal. He later would become President of the FA. Oxford University 2 Royal Engineers 0 venue Kennington Oval date 14 March 1874 The Royal Engineers, captained by Major Marindin were the strongest side in England during the early 1870s with a goal tally of 244 for and 21 against. Playing a vigorously physical passing game, they outshone most of their opponents who were less fit and still playing the kick and rush game that prevailed at the time. In four years they had lost only three matches out of 86 played. Unfortunately, the 1874 final was one of these. Oxford University, beaten finalists the year before, outplayed the Sappers' side clinching the cup with two quick fire goals.

Royal Engineers 2 Old Etonians 0 (Replay after 1-1 draw) venue Kennington Oval (13 March 1875): Replay (16 March 1875) date At long last the Royal Engineers won the trophy after going through the season undefeated and had their revenge against Oxford University in the semi-final. The rules of the time meant that teams only changed ends after a goal was scored so in the final, playing into a howling gale, the Sappers were at a disadvantage. Old Etonians scored late in the game from a corner kick with the assistance of the wind. The teams promptly changed ends and, with the wind at their backs, Royal Engineers quickly equalised. The public school side fielded a weakened team in the replay three days later and were narrowly beaten. Wanderers 3 Royal Engineers 1 venue Kennington Oval date 23 March 1878 Wanderers put out their strongest side in their third consecutive final against the powerful Royal Engineers. After 5 minutes they took the lead and immediately after the restart, Wanderers goalkeeper broke his arm in a scrimmage but he refused to leave the field.

The Sappers equalised in the 18th minute but ten minutes later one of their players put through his own goal. In the second half Engineers had a second equaliser disallowed for offside and shortly afterwards Wanderers scored their third. By the rules of the competition, the FA Cup now became the permanent property of the Wanderers club but they chose to hand it back to the Football Association on condition that no other club could win the trophy outright in the future. This proved to be the last time that the Wanderers would appear in a final. Composed as it was of players selected from other clubs, they found it increasingly hard to secure players as the former public school clubs grew in stature. The following September Kinnaird and several other leading players resigned and joined Old Etonians. KryssTal : Football (FA Cup Finals 1872 - 1888) Wanderers Queen's Park (from Glasgow) The first winners were exempt from all the rounds before the final and could choose the venue of the final. The early finals were between university teams (like Oxford University), fee-paying school teams (like Old Etonians), military teams (Royal Engineers) and enthusiasts (Wanderers).

In 1877 Wanderers played Oxford Univerity in the first repeat final, the original being the final of 1873. In 1878, the final was a repeat of the first (1872) final: Wanderers against Royal Engineers. At the beginning of the 1880's professional teams were set up. These were mainly in the industrial north of England. At first, the FA opposed professionalism but eventually had to agree. Professionalism entered English football in 1885. The later FA Cup finals became dominated by these northern clubs (like Blackburn Rovers). The Scottish team Queen's Park played in two finals in the mid 1880s before Scotland set up its own version of the FA Cup. The FA Cup is a knockout with teams drawn to play each other once at random. Home advantage is determined by the first team of a pair to be drawn. The semi-final and final are played on neutral grounds. A defeat puts a club out of that season's tournament. Between 1876 and 1878 Wanderers won the FA Cup three seasons running. Their 1878 win was a record 5th.

Old Etonians reached three consecutive finals between 1881 and 1883. Blackburn Rovers also won the FA Cup for three consecutive years between 1884 and 1886. Their run of 24 undefeated FA Cup matches set a new record. Their 1884 win made them the first club that still exists in the modern game to win a trophy. The two finals of 1884 and 1885 were between the same two teams (Blackburn Rovers and Queen's Park), the only time this has occurred in consecutive seasons. Aston Villa (1887) and West Bromwich Albion (1888) also won their first trophies. West Bromwich Albion reached three consecutive FA Cup finals between 1886 and 1888. A club would not reach three consecutive FA Cup finals until 1980 . In 1888, Preston North End scored 51 goals in 6 FA Cup ties including a record 26 - 0 win over Hyde United. The 1872 final was staged at the Kennington Oval (London).

The following year it was played at Lillie Bridge (also in London). It returned to Kennington between 1874 and 1892. Football's rules were changing during this period. 11-a-side teams were introduced in 1841, the referee in 1845, the cross bar over the goal and the half time break in 1875, the throw-in replaced the kick-in (1877). The first FA Cup final: A shilling to get in, no nets and seven up front - BBC Sport BBC Sport The first FA Cup final: A shilling to get in, no nets and seven up front By Tom Rostance Read more about sharing. Football in the late 19th Century was a chaotic affair as this illustration of an early England v Scotland game at the Oval shows Saturday's FA Cup final between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Wembley will be watched by half a billion viewers in more than 120 countries. Close to 90,000 fans will be at Wembley for the 134th final of the world's oldest cup competition as two teams of elite, millionaire sportsmen battle it out for glory.

But what exactly was the scene at the original final way back in 1872? An estimated crowd of 2,000 were there to see 22 amateurs play on a cricket pitch, with no nets, as Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 thanks to a goal from Morton Betts. BBC Sport, with the help of Matthew Taylor, professor of history at De Montfort University, look at the first final 143 years ago... The best 15 teams in the land Prior to the 1872 FA Cup, there were no regular competitive games being played in England. Football Association secretary Charles Alcock drew up plans for the first FA Cup which saw 15 teams enter the first round of November 1871. As this letter from July 1871 shows, an FA committee established the first FA Cup.

Letter courtesy of the Football Association and the National Football Museum Step forward Barnes, Civil Service, Hitchin, Crystal Palace (confusingly not the present-day Palace but their precursors who were dissolved in 1876), Maidenhead, Marlow, Queen's Park, Donington School, Upton Park, Clapham Rovers, Royal Engineers, Reigate Priory, Wanderers, Harrow Chequers and Hampstead Heathens, who were given a bye. Teething problems and the logistical headaches of scheduling football matches across Britain in the era of steam meant that Scottish side Queen's Park advanced to the semi-finals without actually playing a game. The semi-finals - both goalless draws - were played at the Kennington Oval. The Royal Engineers booked their place in the final with a 3-0 replay win over Crystal Palace, while Wanderers made it through when Queen's Park decided they could not afford another costly trip to London for the replay and withdrew. A (gentle)man's game: The Royal Engineers side of 1872 The historian's view: "The general consensus is that the FA Cup was based on the knockout competitions between 'Houses' at major public schools such as Harrow.

But Alcock may also have taken inspiration from existing competitions in the provinces, such as Sheffield's Youdon Cup, launched in 1867. "Certainly football was equally, if not more, established and popular in Sheffield as it was in London at this time, and the elite ex-public schoolboys based in the capital knew and played against teams from Sheffield, Nottingham and elsewhere." Invented the Cup, ran the FA Alcock - the brains behind the whole idea - played in defence for Wanderers. Formed in 1859 as Forest Football Club, the side mainly consisted of former Harrow public schoolboys and took the name 'Wanderers' because they played their matches at different grounds. But by 1869 the club was based at the Kennington Oval, where Alcock also happened to be the secretary of Surrey cricket club. The Royal Engineers are still playing and still proud of their heritage. The Royal Engineers were founded in 1863 by Major Francis Marindin - an extraordinary man. Having served in the Crimean war, he would go on to play in the 1872 final, become president of the FA in 1874 and then referee eight further FA Cup finals.

'Wanderers attacking from the Vauxhall End' The 1872 final was held at Kennington Oval, also the venue for the first international football match between England and Scotland in 1870. The Oval would go on to host 20 of the next 21 FA Cup finals, with the 1873 final played at Lillie Bridge - close to Chelsea's modern home at Stamford Bridge. The historian's view: "Many football clubs played on cricket grounds in the late 19th century. Football clubs often emerged from existing cricket clubs, as a way of the players keeping fit in the winter. Purpose-built football grounds did not emerge in significant numbers until the 1880s and 1890s." A shilling on the door While fans at this year's final will have to battle through the crowds at Wembley, it was a more sedate affair in 1872. Football had yet to catch on and around 2,000 are said to have been at the Oval. Much has changed beyond recognition in football but the cost of attending remains an issue...

The historian's view: "Attendances for football matches were not large in the early 1870s, with one reason for the relatively low attendance the price of tickets, which at one shilling (five pence in today's money) was higher than for most matches at the time. "The Oval crowd was said to be 'very fashionable', so presumably made up of the well-to-do and the upper middle-class, as well as those connected with the 'old boys' public school network that ran the Football Association at this time." Wanderers will play 2-2-6 The Royal Engineers could lay claim to being the Barcelona of their day, with their revolutionary tactic of 'passing' the ball to a team-mate at odds with the usual approach of chasing the ball into space. The only goal of the final came after 15 minutes when Betts, playing under the pseudonym "A H Chequer", derived from his membership of the Harrow Chequers club, collected the ball after a long dribble from Walpole Vidal and slammed home. Goalkeeper was not yet a specialist position, with keepers regularly playing outfield.

The original rules of the FA Cup stated that the winners could choose where to play the following year's final. Courtesy of the Football Association and The National Football Museum The historian's view: "It was not unusual for teams to line up with six or seven forwards in the early 1870s. Most teams at this time still relied primarily on individual dribbling, with team-mates backing up the dribbler in an effort to move the ball towards the opponents' goal. "Some authorities have claimed that the Royal Engineers were the first team to develop a passing game, and were doing so at around the time of the first FA Cup final." The banker, the vicar and the Crimean War veteran It's fair to say that the footballers of Oscar Wilde's age were a different breed to today's sporting stars. The Wanderers' band of ex-public schoolboys and the aristocratic elite produced some notable sportsmen. As well as the pioneering Alcock the team contained several men who played first-class cricket, a goalkeeper who was capped by England as a defender and a forward who was capped by England in goal.

Forward Edward Bowen was noted for walking the 90 miles between Cambridge and Oxford in 26 hours in between his football and playing cricket for Hampshire; full-back Edgar Lubbock went on to become the deputy governor of the Bank of England and wing-wizard Walpole Vidal - known as the "prince of dribblers" - would later become a vicar. What the players were playing for in 1872. An original medal, courtesy of the Professional Footballers Association and the National Football Museum As you would expect, the Royal Engineers side had all seen military service from across the world, with experiences branching from India to the Crimea, Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Zulu war. Forward Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour played football and rugby union for Scotland as well as cricket for Kent and would still find time to become a managing director of Guinness, while half-back Alfred Goodwyn would suffer the unfortunate fate of being the first international footballer to be killed in a riding accident in India two years after the final. The historian's view: "Most of the players in the first final had learnt the game in elite public schools and at university. The Wanderers was open only to those who had attended leading public schools and Oxbridge.

Three of the Cup final line-up had attended Eton and four had gone to Harrow." 'Our ball ref!' 'Did that cross the line?' The early rules were very different. In a nod to cricket, players had to appeal for a goal and changed ends after each goal, not at half-time. This once allowed Walpole Vidal to score three times without the opposition touching the ball. The historian's view: "Modern fans would be surprised by some of the features of football in 1872. Rather than a crossbar, a tape was pitched between two posts eight feet above the ground. "Throw-ins were not determined by the team whose player had kicked the ball off the pitch but by the first player to reach the ball. But these rules were not consistent across the country. Variations existed in different areas and it was not until 10 years later, in 1882, that a uniform set of rules was established by the FA." Death, taxes, and referees from Whitehall The 2015 final will be refereed by Jon Moss, who can expect some grief from the stands. It was a different story for civil servant Alfred Stair, the referee chosen for the first three FA Cup finals.

Stair was the head of the Inland Revenue - presumably seen as a trustworthy gentleman of his day - and also played football for Upton Park. The historian's view: "In the earliest days of football, referees were literally peripheral figures. They stood outside the playing area and were only called upon to adjudicate if the umpires (who were appointed by each club and stood in either half of the pitch) could not reach agreement." What happened next? For winners Wanderers it was the start of a golden - if brief - era of success. They retained the trophy in 1873 by beating Oxford University 2-0 and added three more trophies before the end of the decade. Their haul of five FA Cups has only been bettered by Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal. But by 1881 Wanderers could not field a side as players left to play for some of the newer clubs springing up across the country and the team folded in 1887. A reformed side was founded in 2009 and the club currently play in the Surrey South Eastern Combination.

In fact they are looking for a new manager to get the club back in the FA Cup by 2022. The Engineers reached four finals and won the Cup in 1875. They continue to play on and are currently managed by Capt Simon Mayers, who has a 25-man squad to select from around 8,000 men based around the world. Wanderers in 1872, Leeds United in 1972 - who will win the FA Cup in 2072? The historian's view: "Football became increasingly popular over the next decade or so, as it became embedded in British working-class culture. Its popularity was helped by entrepreneurs who realised the opportunities that existed in enclosing playing fields and charging the public for entry. "The next step from this, as teams began to act as representatives of their localities, was for ambitious club committees to 'poach' the best players and pay for them to play for their teams.

Within less than a decade of the first FA Cup final, professional football had emerged in England, though it was not legalised by the FA until 1885." Share this page The 16th of March 1872 AD, 1st FA Cup Final Kennington , London The 16th of March 1872 AD The competition mooted by Charles Alcock in July 1871 had its final the following year on Friday March 16 1872, the kick-off at six in the evening. Played at the Kennington Oval, better known now as a venue for cricket tests, the match was contested between Wanderers, a team made up of ex-public schoolboys and varsity men, and The Royal Engineers. Wanderers had beaten Crystal Palace 3 ï¿½ 0 in a replayed semi-final also contested at the Oval; Wanderers, having drawn in their semi-final at the Oval against Queenï¿½s Park of Glasgow were given a walk-over rather than facing a replay - the Scots had to return to Glasgow before the replay could be held.

The only goal of the final was scored by a Wandererï¿½s player listed for the game as A H Chequer, whose real name was Morton Betts, previously a Harrow player of some note. ï¿½Chequerï¿½ scored from a narrow angle after Wandererï¿½s forward Robert Vidal had created an opening by dribbling past opposing defenders. For much of the game the losing Royal Engineers team played with what amounted to ten men, their midfielder Lieutenant Edmund Cresswell having broken a collar-bone after just ten minutesï¿½ play. He toughed it out to the end on the wing, but took little part in play. The upper-class nature of the game at that stage of its development is highlighted by the makeup of the Royal Engineers team, which consisted of two captains and nine lieutenants. The winning side received the trophy, which had cost ï¿½20 from the company of Martin, Hall & Co of London, at a dinner held at the Pall Mall restaurant in London on April 11th. This miniscule cup was dubbed by some wags ï¿½The Little Tin Idolï¿½.

It was stolen while on display in Birmingham in 1895, and was never found. As winners Wanderers were able to compete in the final the following year without playing any other matches ï¿½ the rest played for the right to challenge them ï¿½ the competition was then, as it still is, correctly named the FA Challenge Cup. Wanderers won the first FA Cup from a field of only 15. In 2006-7 731 teams were entered. A crowd of 2,000 watched on at the Oval final in 1871, having paid one shilling each for entry to the ground. In 2007 89,826 spectators watched at the New Wembley , having paid rather more than a shilling for their tickets, and hundreds of millions saw the game on TV.

1872 FA Cup Final Match | Wanderers vs Royal Engineers | FA Cup Finals 3 - 0 vs Barnsley (Kennington Oval) Match Breakdown For the first final at the Oval in 1872, there were less than 2,000 spectators, the numbers kept down according to Bell's Life by the exorbitant entrance fee of 1/-! It was C. W. Alcock who made the proposal to start the competition when there were just thirty clubs in membership of the F.A. and the game was 'rather a recreation for a few public schoolboys than a truly National sport'. He was described as 'a man of fine and commanding presence who had a happy knack of persuading people to his way'. How fortunate that he persuaded the small committee of seven that assembled in the Sportsman Office on July 20th 1871 "that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association, for which all Clubs belonging to the Association should compete'. 15 Clubs entered that first season, Donington Grammar School and Queen's Park, Glasgow, the only two from north of Hertfordshire.

Queen's Park was perhaps the most surprising entrant-particularly as the £1 entrance fee amounted to almost a sixth of the Club funds at the time. They were allowed a bye to the semi-final and given the promise that the final would be played the next day if they won to save the expense of an extra trip. In fact there was no score in their game with the Wanderers and they withdrew, rather than face the cost of a replay. So the Wanderers were through to the Final. Their opponents, the Royal Engineers of Chatham, were the leading team of the period and the odds were quoted as 7-4 in their favour. Not for the last time the favourite lost. Lieutenant Cresswell broke his collarbone after ten minutes play and a single goal from M. P. Belts gave Wanderers the Cup. Match Report Wanderers had drawn a hard, goalless semi-final tie with Queen's Park and won a place in the Final only because the Glasgow team could not afford to travel back to London for a replay. The historic first Final took place at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872, before a crowd of 2,000.

At that time football matches were played without crossbars or goal-nets. There were no free-kicks or penalties, and the pitch markings did not include a centre-circle or a half-way line. The Royal Engineers team of 1872 with eight of the players who took part in the first Cup-Final at the Oval. Major Marindin is in the centre of the back row. Wanderers gained the first of their five victories in the competition, but it was only by a single goal scored by Belts, mysteriously playing under the pseudonym 'A. H. Chequer'. Wanderers had the pick of all the best players who had been at the public schools and universities, yet it was the Royal Engineers from Chatham who took the field as favourites at odds of 7 to 4 on. Not for the last time, the favourites went down in the Final. Engineers were particularly unlucky in that Lieutenant Creswell broke his collar-bone after ten minutes - the first recorded accident in football. Once Betts had scored from an acute angle after Vidal's long dribble had made the opening, the Engineers did well to keep the margin of defeat down to one goal.

Morton Peto Betts, scorer of the first FA Cup Final Goal C. W. Alcock, Secretary of the Football Association, had been the one to table the resolution to start a Cup competition that he believed would fire interest in the game. Fittingly, it was Alcock who captained Wanderers to victory in the first Final. They had six future internationals in their side, and their best players were probably Hooman of Charterhouse and Vidal. 'the prince of dribblers' from Westminster. The Rev R. W. S. Vidal, who also played for Oxford University, once scored three goals in succession from the kick-off in one match, without an opponent touching the ball - a tribute to his legendary dribbling skills. Wanderers' goalkeeper Bowen was still an outstanding player at thirty-six - no mean achievement in the days when training was unknown and goalkeepers were fair game for the heaviest of charges, whether they had the ball or not. The first Cup competition had been riddled with byes. exemptions and unfinished ties. Wanderers reached the Final, but Harrow had scratched to them in the first round, and they had failed to win both their quarter-final and semi-final ties.

1872 fa cup final : definition of 1872 fa cup final and synonyms of 1872 fa cup final (English) 1873 → The 1872 FA Cup Final was a football match between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on 16 March 1872 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the final of the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era as the FA Cup ), which became the primary cup competition in English football and the oldest football competition in the world. Fifteen teams entered the competition in its first season and, due to the rules in place at the time, Wanderers reached the final having won only one match in the four preceding rounds. In the semi-finals, they drew with the Scottish club Queen's Park , but reached the final when the Scots withdrew from the competition as they could not afford to return to London for a replay. The final was decided by a single goal, scored after fifteen minutes by Morton Betts of Wanderers, who was playing under the pseudonym "A.H. Chequer".

The Engineers were praised for their innovative use of passing, then referred to as the " Combination Game ", at a time when most teams relied almost solely on dribbling tactics. Despite this they could not manage to score a goal. The winning Wanderers team did not receive the trophy until the following month, when it was presented to them at a special reception at the Pall Mall Restaurant. Contents Main article: 1871–72 FA Cup The Royal Engineers team of 1871. Eight of these players played in the first FA Cup Final. Wanderers and Royal Engineers were among fifteen teams who entered the inaugural FA Cup competition, and both were allocated home matches in the first round. [1] Wanderers were paired with Harrow Chequers, a team consisting of former pupils of Harrow School , and the Engineers were set to face Reigate Priory. Neither match actually took place, however, as in both cases the away team withdrew from the competition, sending the home team through to the next round on a walkover . [1] In the second round, both teams played away matches and emerged victorious.

Wanderers defeated Clapham Rovers 3–1 in December and the Engineers beat Hitchin 5–0 the following month. [1] At the quarter-final stage, Wanderers drew 0–0 with Crystal Palace (a different club to the modern club of the same name ). [1] Rather than be made to replay the match, however, both teams were permitted to go through to the semi-finals under one of the competition's original rules, which stated that in the event of a drawn match the teams would either be made to play again or both progress to the next round, at the organising committee's discretion. [2] The Engineers beat Hampstead Heathens 2–0. In the semi-finals Wanderers took on the leading Scottish club Queen's Park who, due to a combination of walkovers and byes, had reached this stage of the competition without actually playing a match.

[1] The rules of the competition stated that all matches from the semi-final stage onwards would take place at Kennington Oval in London and, after being held to a 0–0 draw, the Scottish club could not afford to make the lengthy trip from Glasgow a second time for a replay and withdrew from the competition, sending Wanderers into the final. [3] The Engineers also drew their semi-final at the Oval 0–0, and beat Crystal Palace 3–0 in the replay. [1] Match Summary Morton Betts scored the game's only goal. As was common at the time, both teams focused mainly on attack rather than defence, the Engineers lining up with seven forwards and Wanderers with eight. [4] Wanderers forward Morton Betts played under the pseudonym "A. H. Chequer", derived from his membership of the Harrow Chequers club. [5] Some sources state that he played under an assumed name to disguise the fact that he was cup-tied , having been a registered player of the Chequers club at the start of the competition and therefore ineligible to play for another club in that season's cup.

This, however, is unlikely to be true, as in the early amateur era of football players were not required to be formally registered with clubs. [6] Cuthbert Ottaway , a future captain of the England national team , played for two different clubs in consecutive rounds of the 1871–72 FA Cup without incident. [7] Wanderers captain C. W. Alcock won the coin toss and chose to defend the Harleyford Road end of the ground, meaning that the Engineers, who were considered the favourites at the start of play, initially had the sun and wind in their faces. [4] Early in the game, Edmund Creswell of the Royal Engineers suffered a broken collar bone in a melee. He refused to leave the pitch but due to his injury was forced to spend the remainder of the match as a "passenger" on the wing . [8] Wanderers' tactics centred on the dribbling skills of individual players, while the Engineers favoured passing the ball, a style then known as the " Combination Game " and considered innovative, of which they were leading exponents.

[9] Wanderers took the lead fifteen minutes into the game when Betts opened the scoring from an acute angle after Robert Vidal 's long dribble. Under the rules in use at the time, the teams changed ends after each goal, but the Engineers were unable to take advantage of the fact that the sun and wind were now behind them, and the Wanderers players remained dominant. [8] After twenty minutes Alcock put the ball past the Engineers' goalkeeper, William Merriman , but the goal was disallowed because Charles Wollaston had handled the ball . [4] Wanderers continued to exert further pressure on the Engineers' goal and only Merriman's skill was able to prevent them from increasing their lead. One newspaper later described his performance as "perfect". [10] Despite a late rally from the Engineers, Wanderers were able to hold on to their lead and the game ended in a 1–0 victory. [11] Newspaper The Field called the final "the fastest and hardest match that has ever been seen at The Oval" and said that the Wanderers displayed "some of the best play, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game".

[8] Details 30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion. Replay if scores still level. No substitutes. Post-match The Cup was presented by the President of the Football Association , Mr E. C. Morley , at the annual dinner of the Wanderers at the Pall Mall Restaurant, Charing Cross , on 11 April. [12] The Football Association also gave each player in the winning team a silk badge commemorating the victory and the Wanderers' committee presented each player with an inscribed gold medal. [4] As cup-holders, Wanderers received a bye straight to the final of the following year's FA Cup, in keeping with the original concept of the competition being a "challenge cup". [13] This was the only time this rule was used. [14] In 1938, The Times published an obituary for Thomas Hooman and stated that he had scored the winning goal in the 1872 cup final, citing an interview the player gave shortly before his death.

This claim is not backed up by contemporary newspaper reports, all of which list Betts as the goalscorer, and, as other quoted aspects of Hooman's reminiscences about the match were incorrect, it seems that in his old age he was confusing the 1872 final with another match in which he played. [15] In 2010, the only known surviving medal from the final was offered for sale at an auction in London. It had been purchased by a jeweller as part of a house clearance in the 1950s and was expected to sell for up to £50,000, [16] but was ultimately purchased by the Professional Footballers' Association for £70,500. [17] References 1872 FA Cup Rematch – Wanderers versus Engineers — We Are SO Photo Football , On Location , We Are SO Football 140 years… it’s probably the longest any team has waited for a rematch.

However, on Wednesday 7th November 2012, The Royal Engineers finally got the chance to challenge for the FA Cup in a replay of the very first FA Cup final, played in 1872. The victors of that day, and their challengers on this cold November evening were the Wanderers… the inaugural winners of the world’s most famous domestic club competition. Back in 1872, the Wanderers, who sported such magnificent names as Reginald Courtney Welch, Morton Betts and C.W. Alcock (who was one of football and cricket’s great innovators), took on nine lieutenants and two captains of the British Army’s Royal Engineers regiment. With rules long since passed, (throw-ins were awarded to whoever fetched the ball first and teams swapped ends each time a goal was scored) The Wanderers’ attacking-style – they lined up with eight forwards compared to the meagre seven from the Engineers, proved to be difference as they ran out 1-0 victors.

Newspapers of the day described the match, played at the Kennington Oval as “some of the best play, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game.” Skip on 140 years and the Kennington Oval (now renamed a much more corporate sponsorship-friendly Kia Oval) played host to the long, long awaited rematch. I was honoured to be invited along by one of the organisers to photograph this commemorative occasion. The Oval was once famous for more than just cricket. In fact, other than being the venue for the original FA Cup final, it hosted the very first international football match in 1870. In total, the Oval was the setting for no less than twenty FA Cup finals. Today, it is primarily used as Surrey County Cricket Club’s home venue and one of the nation’s premier test match arenas. However, for one night, a football pitch was marked out near the pavilion and once again, the South London venue was playing host to the world’s favourite game. The occasion was full of FA Cup regale. The original and current cups were on display. A marching band entertained the gathering crowd.

Abide With Me was gracefully sung and a plethora of media were on hand to document the evening. The teams took to the field, with former FA Cup winner Bobby Gould taking a one-time charge of the Wanderers. Within the first ten minutes, the writing was on the wall. The Engineers easily looked the fitter, stronger, if not technically better team. And they made the Wanderers pay. There was a fear that the match would ironically end in a cricket score… not what anyone really wanted to see. By half time, the Army side were up 6-0, with the Wanderers barely registering a shot on goal. Certainly not “perfect” as one newspaper reported of the Wanderers performance in the original game. The introduction of ‘Flash’ (ahh-ahhh as the crowd sung) for the second half bought some much needed life to the Wanderer’s attack and, much to the delight of the crowd, nodded in to reduce the deficit. The rest of the half played out much more evenly contested, with the Engineer’s producing only one more goal themselves (a deft little lob over the stranded Wanderer’s keeper).

Upon the final whistle, hands were shook, laughs were shared and all was played in the true original spirit of the game. Yes – the Wanderers had lost, but no-one seemed to mind. The original cup was presented (though comically, could only be handled with gloves) to Captain Jay Hubbard by David Gold. It was the Engineer’s night… the latest winners of the FA Cup and only 140 years of revenge in the making. The full set of my pictures can be seen here . You can also read more football articles here . Kennington Oval | England | Cricket Grounds | ESPN Cricinfo Kennington Oval The Oval Cricket Ground, Kennington, London, SE 11 5SS (Phone: 020-7582-6660) Also or formerly known as The Oval; The AMP Oval; The Foster's Oval; The Brit Oval; The Kia Oval Established 03:59, Thu Jan 19, 2017 (UTC +0000) Records index Profile This is where it all began.

The first-ever Test on English soil was played here in September 1880, resulting in an England win over Australia by five wickets, with WG Grace scoring a hundred on debut, and this is where a Test series in England traditionally ends. More pertinently, this is the historic venue where the legend of the Ashes was born a couple of years after the inaugural Test, in August 1882. England, chasing only 85 to win, slumped from 51 for 2 to 78 all out. The next morning The Sporting Times published its famous mock obituary and the legend was born. The Oval has witnessed many historic matches.

England's dramatic one-wicket win in 1902 inspired by Gilbert Jessop's sensational hundred; Australia's 701 in 1930 as Don Bradman (244) and Bill Ponsford (266) put on 451 for the second wicket; England's 903 for 7 as they beat Australia by an innings and 579 runs in 1938; Bradman's farewell duck in 1948; Denis Compton scoring the boundary which meant England regained the Ashes in 1953; Michael Holding's 14 wickets on a featherbed in 1976; Devon Malcolm's 9 for 57 against South Africa in 1994. Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall (who is the Prince of Wales, hence his feathers have appeared on Surrey's badge since 1915), The Oval came about in the 1790s when an oval road was laid round what was then a cabbage patch.

When a subsequent market garden failed, the land was opened as a cricket ground in 1845 after 10,000 turfs were brought in from Tooting Common. It has been Surrey headquarters ever since, even though it has been well outside the county boundary for many years. It has hosted many other important sporting occasions and can claim to be the most important general sports ground in the world. It staged the first FA Cup final in 1872 (won by Wanderers in front of 2000 spectators) and the following year the first England international (against Scotland). It was the home of the FA Cup final between 1874 and 1892. In 1876 it staged to the first England v Wales and England v Scotland rugby internationals, and in 1877 to rugby's Varsity match. In addition, it has witnessed rock concerts (The Who and The Faces in 1971), ice skating and the now traditional end-of-season Aussie Rules match. It was also a temporary home to prisoners in transit during the Second World War. The ground itself is dominated by the gasometers on the east side.

Until fairly recently the pavilion, built in 1890, and the Vauxhall stand were the only structures of any significance, with banks of open and fairly uncomfortable seating making up the rest of the spectator facilities. More recent developments, culminating in a £25 million development which started in 2004. It was much needed as the venue had suffered from underinvestment and had a feeling of decay about it. Notes Travel Tube - Oval station (Northern line) is 200 yards from the ground Train - Vauxhall station (on all major routes to and from Waterloo) is about 800 yards away Car - Parking is limited (generally to four-hour meters) and expensive near the ground and in surrounding streets. Some local schools open their car parks but these are also not cheap Map here (this will link to streetmap.co.uk page)

Question: Where in London was the venue of the first FA Cup Final in 1872?
Answer: THE OVAL